Process for the preparation of ergotamine and ergocryptine

ABSTRACT

Described is a microbiological process for the preparation of ergotamine and ergocryptine. The process is characterized in that Claviceps purpurea FI 32/17 is cultivated under aerobic conditions in submerged culture in a liquid nutrient medium containing an assimilable source of carbon, an assimilable source of nitrogen and mineral salts. The cultivation is carried out at from 20* to 35* C. with a pH of from 4.5 to 6.5. Claviceps purpurea FI 32/17 has been given the index number ATCC 20102 by the American Type Culture Collection, Rockville, Maryland.

United States Patent Amici et al.

[is] 3,658,653 51 Apr. 25, 1972 PROCESS FOR THE PREPARATION OF ERGOTAMINE AND ERGOCRYPTINE Alba-Marla Amlcl; Anacleto Minghettl; Tullio Scotti; Celestine Spaila, all of Milan, Italy Societa Farmace utici ltalla, Milan, Italy July 17, 1968 inventors:

Assignee:

Filed:

Appl. No.:

Foreign Application Priority Data July 19, 1967 Italy ..1ss42 A/67 u.s'. cl. ..i95/81 Int. Cl. .'....C12d 13/02 Field of Search "195/81 [56] References Cited uurrizo STATES PATENTS 3,1 mm 11/1963 Kybaletal ..l9S/8l Primary Examiner-Alvin E. Tanenhultz Attorney-Curt M. Avery, Arthur E. Wilfond, Herbert L. Lerner and Daniel J. Tick [5 7] ABSTRACT 1 Claims, No Drawings loids and are well known for their therapeutic properties and their employment in gynecology, internal medicine and neurology.

The new strain of microorganism, which will be further described hereinbelow, is stored in the microbiological laboratories of Societa Farmaceutici ltalia where it is called "Fl 32/17". It has also been deposited at the Commonwealth Mycological Institute, Ferry Lane, l(ent, Surrey (Great Britain) under the index number l.M.l. 131,509, at the American Type Culture Collection, 12301 Parklawn Drive, Rockville, Maryland 20852 (U.S.A.) receiving the index Medium 19: moderate growth in a patina of a more or less powdery aspect of whitish color. Backside colorless, solu-- ble pigments absent, conidia absent. Medium TD: delayed growth in a mass very relieved. clotted, from white-colorless to pink. Backside flesh colored, soluble pigments absent, conidia absent. Medium S: good and relieved growth, of white color. .Backside colorless, soluble pigments absent, conidia present. According to the invention, a strain of Claviceps purpurea F I 32/17 is cultivated under aerobic conditions in submerged cul-' ture in a liquid nutrient medium containing an assimilable source of carbon, an assimilable source of nitrogen and mineral salts. The carbon sources are preferably glucose, saccharose, dextrin, sorbite, mannite, glycerin, citric acid, or succinic acid. The nitrogen source may for example be ammonia, asparagine, peptone, casein hydrolyzates, yeast ex- TABLE I Media Component Potatoglucosatc Glucose, g..."

lleptonc, g Meat extract, Yeast extract, :5 Asparagiuc, g-. Diammonium phosphate ((NH4)2HPO4), g- Bipotasslum phosphate (KzHPOi), g Monopotassiuni phosphate (KIHQPOl), 8. Magnesium sulphate (MgSOJHzO), g. Potassium chloride (KCI), g Sodium chloride (NaCl), g Ferrous sulphate (FeS04-7Hz0), mg Zinc sulphate (ZnSO4.7H2O), mg.-. Ammonia, pH at Agar, g Aqueous potato extract, cc- Distilled water, 00., to Tap water, cc., to pH before sterilization. Sterilization 1 Preparation of the aqueous potato extract: 200 g. of peeled potatoes are cut into pieces and boiled for minutes in 500 cc. of tapwater. The mixture is filtered through gauze and taken up to the initial volume.

number ATCC 20102 and at the Institute of Plant Pathology of the University of Milan (Italy) receiving the index number lPV F-295. At the last institute, the microorganism is readily available. The strain Fl 32/17 is stored by successive passages or by lyophilization of a suspension of conidia. The new strain of Claviceps purpurea F l 32/ 17 has been isolated from a sclerotium of segale cornuta collected on a rye-thorn near Brunico (Bolzano). lt shows the following morphological and cultural properties. Morphological Properties The mycelium of the young cultures consists of 2.5-4.0 mp hyphae in diameter with not very evident septa. The young hyphae are usually without branches, which are just outlined. On growing, the hyphae branch out and the septa become more evident, the hyphae become thicker and show a very irregular diameter owing to the presence of different size cells. This aspect is particularly evident in cultures which do not form conidia. Sometimes the hyphae break at the level of the septa yielding irregular fragments showing characteristicsof the artrosphores. According to the composition of the media, the strain Fl 32/17 may form conidia or not. Such conidia are oval, regular and about 2.5-3.5 X 5.3-6.5 mu. Cultural Characteristics The cultural characteristics, noticed in cultures incubated at 28 C for 8, 16 and 24 days on slants of the media having the compositions reported in Table l, are as follows:

TS Medium: very good growth at irregular reliefs, of white color often spotted with violet. Backside of the colony from colorless to violet. Soluble pigments absent, conidia present.

C4 Medium: moderate growth in a patina ofa more or less powdery aspect, cream or flesh colored. Backside colorless, soluble pigments absent, conidia absent.

Potato glucose Medium: good growth in patina diffuse, little EXAMPLE 1 From a stock of cultures on slants of C medium (Table 1) an inoculum is made on a slant of the same medium. The inoculum is incubated at 28 C for 8 days and the culture thus obtained is employed to inoculate two 300 cc flasks, each containing 50 cc of the following SC medium:

Glucose g Peptone 16 g Tap water to 1,000 cc pH Sterilization at 1 10 C for 20 minutes.

The flasks are incubated for 4 days at 24 C on a rotary shaker at 220 rpm. with a stroke of 3.5 cm. The cultures thus obtained are used, in the amount of 10%, to inoculate 300 cc flasks containing 50 cc of the following 668, medium:

Saccharose 60 g Glycerin 60 g Glucose 80 g Yeast extract 0.1 g Citric acid 15 g potassium chloride (KC!) 0.125 g monopotassium phosphate lKH POU 0.5 g magnesium sulphate IMgSOHH O) 0.5 g ferrous sulphate (FeSO -7H O) 7 mg zinc sulphate (ZnSO '7H O) 6 mg Distilled water to 1,000 cc pH 5.2 with ammonia Sterilization at 100 C for 20 minutes.

After 13 days of incubation under the conditions described for the vegetative culture, the cultures contain 2200 y/cc of a mixture of alkaloids consisting of 48% of ergotamine and 52% of ergocryptine.

EXAMPLE 2 From a'stock of cultures on slants of TS medium (Table I) an inoculum is made on a slant of T25D medium (Table I). The inoculum is incubated at 28 C for days and the culture thus obtained is used to inoculate two 300 cc flasks, each containing 50 cc of the following TG medium:

Glucose 100 g Citric acid 10 g Yeast extract 0.1 g monopotassium phosphate (KH,PO,) 0.5 g magnesium sulphate (MgSO,-7H,O) 0.3 g ferrous sulphate Distilled water to 1,000 cc pH 5.2 with ammonia Sterilization at 120 C for 20 minutes.

The flasks are incubated for 6 days at 24 C on a rotary shaker at 220 r.p.m. with a stroke of 3.5 cm. The cultures thus obtained are used, in the amounts of 10%, to inoculate 300 cc flasks containing 40 cc of the following 668B medium:

Distilled ater to 1,000 cc pH 5.2 with ammonia Sterilization at 120 C for 20 minutes.

After 14 days of incubation under the conditions reported for the vegetative phase, the cultures contain 3800 'y/cc of a mixture of alkaloids consisting of 45% of ergocryptine and 55% of ergotamine.

EXAMPLE 3 An inoculum is made on a slant of C medium (Table l) I from a stock of cultures on slants of potato glucosate medium (Table l). The inoculum is incubated at 28 C for 6 days and the culture thus obtained is used to inoculate two 300 cc flasks, each containing 50 cc of SC medium (Example 1). Thereafter, the flasks are incubated for 4 days at 24 C on a rotary shaker at 220 r.p.m. with a stroke of 3.5 cm. The cultures thus obtained are used, in the amount of 10%, to inoculate 300 cc flasks containing 45 cc of the following T25 medi- Saccharose- 300 g Citric acid 15 g Yeast extract 0.1 g potassium chloride (KCl) 0.125 g monopotassium phosphate (KH POn 0.5 g magnesium sulphate (MgSOJH O) 0.5 g ferrous sulphate (FeSO ,'7H,O) 7 mg zinc sulphate Distilled water a 1,000 cc pH 5.2 with ammonia Sterilization at 100 C for minutes.

After 13 days of incubation under the conditions described for the vegetative phase, the cultures contain 1800 y/cc of a mixture in equal parts of ergocryptine and ergotamine.

EXAMPLE 4, PU RlFlCATlON OF THE PRODUCT The contents of 120 flasks produced as in Example 1 having a titer between 2000 and 2500 y/cc are combined. 5 liters of the culture obtained are filtered. The filtrate and the mycelium are separately extracted. The filtrate is adjusted to pH 9 with sodium carbonate and twice extracted with 3 liters of chloroform each time. The chloroform is concentrated in vacuo at 20-30 C to about one fifth of the starting volume and extracted with a 2% aqueous solution of tartaric acid. The tartaric solution is made alkaline at pH 9 and extracted with chloroform. The mycelium is stirred with 50% of aqueous acetone containing 2% of tartaric acid, filtered and the filtrate is made alkaline to pH 9 and extracted with chloroform. The chloroform extracts of the mycelium and of the filtrate are combined, evaporated to a small volume and precipitated by addition of hexane. A crude product is obtained which, after drying in vacuo, weighs 11.2 g. This material is dissolved in 13 cc of glacial acetic acid. 1 10 cc of methanol are then added.

15 cc of 5% sulphuric acid in methanol are added and the reaction mixture is allowed to stand overnight at 3 C. Thus 3.9 g of crystalline ergotamine sulphate, melting at 206 C and corresponding to 3.6g of base, are obtained.

The mother liquors are concentrated under nitrogen atmosphere, reduced pressure to a small volume. The residue is adjusted to 20 cc with water, made alkaline at pH 9.5 with ammonium hydroxide and extracted with chloroform. The chloroform extract concentrated in vacuo at 30 C to small volume is passed through a column of 400 g of silica gel in chloroform. By eluting with chloroform, a fraction is obtained containing ergocryptine which is evaporated to dryness. The residue is dissolved in benzene at the ratio of l 20 and concentrated to a quarter of the starting volume. The reaction mixture is allowed to stand overnight at 5 C, 4.8 g of ergocryptine base are obtained, which after recrystallization from methyl alcohol and drying melts at 212 C; a -187 (c 1% in chloroform). By carrying on the elution of the silica column with chloroform and 4% methanol, another fraction is obtained which on evaporation to dryness yields 0.7 g of product. This is dissolved in 7 cc of of aqueous acetone and 0.7 g of ergotamine solvated with 2 molecules of water and 2 molecules of acetone precipitate, melting at 180C; a 1 =124 (c 1% in chloroform).

EXAMPLE 5 From a stock of cultures on slants of T25D medium (Table 1) an inoculum on 5 slants of the same medium is carried out which are incubated at 28 C for 10 days. The mycelium of the cultures thus obtained is suspended in 60 cc of water. it is homogenized and then used to inoculate 6 liters of TG medium (Example 2) contained in a 10 liter glass fermenter and sterilized at C for 30 minutes. The inoculum is incubated for 5 days at 24 C with an aeration corresponding to an air flow of4 liters per minute under shaking at 300 r.p.m. ofa rotary shaker provided with 6 paddles. The cultures thus obtained serve to inoculate, in the amount of 10%, 6 liters ofT25 medium (Example 3) prepared and sterilized in another 10 liter fermenter. This is incubatedat 24 C with an aeration corresponding to an air flow of 6 liters per minute under shaking of 350 r.p.m.- ofa rotary shaker having 6 paddles. After 10 days of incubation, the culture contains 1200 y/cc of a mixture in equal parts of ergotamine and ergocryptine.

We claim:

l. A microbiological process for the preparation of ergotamine and ergocryptine, which comprises cultivating Claviceps purpurea Fl 32/17 under aerobic conditions in submerged culture, in a liquid nutrient medium containing an assimilable source of carbon, an assimilable source of nitrogen and mineral salts, at a temperature from 20 to 35 C and a pH of from 4.5 to 6.5 and separating the ergotamine and ergocryptine produced from the culture. 

